Thursday, November 29, 2012

He eats local artisanal pickles and drinks small-batch bourbon, he's never met a plaid shirt he hasn't liked, and you can pry his Spotify account from his cold, dead hands. Here's what to get your one and only.

1. He may still harbor a (secret) comic-book habit, but Sean Howe's excellent Marvel Comics: The Untold Story will let him indulge in public. (Full disclosure: The author is a dear friend of mine, but the book is MW-approved.)

2. The only thing better than a good-smelling husband is a good-smelling husband who lets you borrow his cologne. Le Labo Santal 33 is means to evoke the Marlboro Man, but I find the woody-leathery-spicy blend works just as well on women.

3. Taxidermy, like handlebar mustaches, is so last year. Get him a much cooler dinosaur bust instead.

4. Tsovet watches contain the Swiss-quartz movement of finer timepieces but the design is much more modern, minimal, and low-key (the company is based in California). Their QS watch is so classically cool, it's pretty much a sure thing.

5. As someone who could really give a poo about sports, I admit that even I will watch one of ESPN Films' 30 for 30 documentaries when it's on (ok, when MW puts it on). This box set gathers 12 of the most popular in the series.

6. Until your husband figures out how to wire speakers to your entire house (and your roof deck), Beacon's Phoenix wireless speakers are an easy alternative. They sound great, they're bluetooth-enabled, and they're inexpensive enough that you can buy one for every room.